Court Allows KROCK Hosts to Stay On-Air, But With Conditions

Updated 6:00pm — SYRACUSE — Josh Grosvent and Hunter Scott will be allowed to continue hosting mornings for KROCK stations in the Syracuse (WKRL/WKRH) and Utica-Rome (WKLL) markets. But a state judge says the pair cannot refer to their program as “The Show” anymore. The judge also set forth some other conditions, after discussing the case with lawyers representing KROCK parent Galaxy Communications and Cumulus Media, the owner of the pair’s former station, 95X (WAQX).

On KROCK this morning, the two hosts said that Cumulus filed the motion in an effort to bar them from using various “intellectual property” items, including fictional characters they created during their two years with 95X. They said they were scheduled to appear in court at 2:00pm today, and they didn’t know if or when they would be back on the air again.

Word of today’s decision initially came via Grosvent on Twitter:

UPDATE! We are free to broadcast! Kinda. We are LIVE tomorrow morning on @krockcny at 6am & will explain to you some of the absurd changes.

Updated 6:00pm — According to Post-Standard reporters Mark Bialczak and Jim O’Hara, the judge also sided with Cumulus on banning the pair from discussing “Beer Friday” and “Chalkdust” on KROCK. Responding to fans on Facebook, who guessed “Chalkdust” was nixed, Grosvent said, “Fine. We have plenty more ideas.” However, today’s ruling is just a preliminary hearing; the Post-Standard report says the parties are due back in the same courtroom next month. The newspaper cited court papers in which Cumulus is accusing Scott and Grosvent of violating terms of their contract with Cumulus Broadcasting. Specifically, the company says the pair did not give Cumulus “first right of refusal” on contract renewals, in addition to “other post-employment obligations.”

Previously, both hosts and their new boss, Galaxy CEO/President Ed Levine, stated that Scott’s and Grosvent’s contracts with Cumulus expired at the end of August. The hosts said they wanted to renew, but their requests for contract negotiation talks with Cumulus went unanswered.

Over the weekend, Cumulus Media Syracuse Operations Manager Tom Mitchell told CNYRadio.com he is not able to comment on legal matters. He referred us to General Manager Shane Bogardus, who has not responded to our inquiry.

Previous Coverage on CNYRadio.com

Today’s court appearance is the latest in a chain of events that started on October 16, when Scott and Grosvent suddenly resigned from 95X. Here are all of our previous stories on the matter: